This invention relates to the synthesis of 5,5xe2x80x2-diformyl-2,2xe2x80x2-difuran and derivatives thereof, as well as to the derivatives themselves as new chemical compounds.
Difunctional aromatic monomers have vast potential and uses in the polymer industry and are presently used in many applications. Present technology to produce difunctional monomers through two base nuclei from the single nucleus has been achieved utilising a metal halide intermediate. This technology has the disadvantage of requiring an initial halogenation step after which the halogenated nuclei are treated with a metal powder. High temperatures, long reaction time and laborious work-up procedures followed by low yields make this process uneconomical. Industrially the large quantities of metal powder required make this process extremely difficult to handle on a large scale, whilst the specific metal required must be chosen with care as to prevent conversion of the parent functional group to another functionality.
Presently industry is dominated by difunctional phenyl derivatives through either one or two base nuclei. No difunctional furan derivatives through two base nuclei are presently synthesised on an industrial scale, Considering 5,5xe2x80x2diformyl-2,2xe2x80x2difuran it has been found that this compound has been synthesised through an Ullmann condensation utilising 5-iodo-2-furaldehyde, palladium catalysed coupling of 2-furaldehyde, or via the photolytic dimerisation of 5-bromo-2-furfural. The reported syntheses of the target compound involve labrious preparation of the starting materials, numerous work-up steps, high cost and low yields,
It is an object of the present invention to prepare 5,5xe2x80x2-diformyl-2,2xe2x80x2-difuran and derivatives thereof in good yield and purity, and to avoid the use of high temperatures, solid metal powders and tedious work-up procedures.